Facebook’s earnings show that the company’s ads are differentiated. Then, advertisers won’t save local news, and a reminder that publications need to match their journalism with their business model.
Apple’s China Problem
Apple had mixed earnings: most of the world was great, but China was bad again. The reason is that in China WeChat matters more than iOS.
Twitter Earnings, Twitter’s Video Push, Amazon Earnings
Twitter’s earnings were encouraging when it comes to user growth, but the company’s focus on video is a disappointment. Then, Amazon’s earnings were mixed: AWS has competition, but e-commerce is dominant.
Facebook and Antitrust, Mark Zuckerberg’s Platform Obsession, The Camera Effects Platform
Even if Facebook is a monopoly, there’s nothing that can be done about it. Then, Facebook’s platform obsession now extends to the camera; this makes more sense, but Facebook will always have trouble being a true platform company.
Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly
Facebook gave one of the worst keynotes in a long time: there was no vision, just the adoption of Snap’s. It’s the inevitable outcome of a monopoly.
Tech Morality, Facebook and the BBC, Wikileaks’ CIA Trove
The analysis of technology cannot escape questions of morality, and certainty is dangerous. Plus, the CIA leak, and the difference between exploits and encryption.
Fake News and Facebook, Filter Bubbles and People, Google’s Featured Snippets Problem
Research says truly fake news isn’t much of a problem; filter bubbles are, but algorithms are less responsible than it seems. That, though, is why Google in particular has a responsibility to do better.
Disney and Differentiated Content, Snap and Hardware
Disney may have differentiated content, but they don’t necessarily have the right business model, and may not get there. Then, could Snap really end up being a hardware company?
Facebook’s Incentives and Confirmation Bias, James Allworth: Founders and Motivation, Follow-up
My podcast partner explains why I was mistaken to not oppose Facebook’s power sooner — and I welcome it. Plus, additional follow-up on Manifestos and Monopolies.
Manifestos and Monopolies
Facebook has long had too much power, but Mark Zuckerberg’s expressed willingness to use said power for political ends means it’s time to consider countermeasures.